Rays Notes Lowe Pepiot Poche Devensk

  • January 21, 2026 5:45 PM PST

    The Rays are close to getting a major piece of their lineup back from the injured list, as relays that club manager told reporters that is restarting his rehab a signment this weekend and could return to the big league roster as soon as Monday if all goes well in his final rehab outings. Lowe made it into just eight games this season before being sidelined by an oblique injury but has been one of the clubs most reliable hitters since he made his debut back in 2018, as evidenced by the career .245/.334/.484 slash line he carried into the 2024 campaign. That includes two monster seasons in 2020 and 2021 that saw him earn downballot MVP consideration, but hes remained a valuable hitter in recent years even as hes not regained that elite peak offensive form; in 2023, the then-28-year-old slashed a solid .231/.328/.443 with 21 homers. The Rays are surely hoping that Lowe can provide the club with a spark offensively, as the ALs best offense from 2023 has scuffled a bit in 2024. Theyve posted a collective wRC+ of just 101 this year, down 17 points from last year and good for just 14th in the majors to this point in the year. Those relative struggles have been thanks primarily to down seasons from key contributors like and to this point in the season. and have filled in admirably for Lowe in his absence, and it wouldnt be a surprise to see the Rays look to work both players into the lineup on a semi-regular basis even upon Lowes return. Also nearing a return from the shelf is right-hander , who has been on the shelf since May 8 after being struck by in the leg by a comebacker. Pepiots return will be greatly appreciated for the Rays, as hes pitched to a strong 3.68 ERA and 3.64 FIP through seven starts with the Rays in his first season as a regular in the rotation. Prior to being swapped to the Rays this past winter in the deal, Pepiot had shown flashes of his impre sive ability Dylan Bundy Jersey with the Dodgers, for whom he pitched to a 2.76 ERA in 78 1/3 innings split between the 2022 and 23 seasons. In Pepiots absence, the Rays have relied on and to fill out the clubs rotation alongside , , and . Bradley has looked excellent in his two starts since being activated, with a 2.45 ERA and 3.04 FIP in 11 frames. Alexander, on the other hand, has generally struggled while swinging between the rotation and the bullpen with the Rays but carried a perfect game into the eighth innings of his most recent start against the Blue Jays, ultimately throwing 7 1/3 innings of three-run ball on three hits, no walks, and four strikeouts. Not all the injury news has been positive for the Rays, however. that Cash indicated to reporters today that the Rays still have no clear timeline for return regarding left-hander , who has been on the shelf for nearly a month now due to mid-back tightne s. The 30-year-old southpaw was one of Tampas most important relievers last year as he pitched to a sterling 2.23 ERA with a 3.34 ERA and a 24.8% strikeout rate in 60 2/3 innings of work. Unfortunately, he struggled badly this season in ten appearances prior to being placed on the injured list, as he allowed seven runs in 9 1/3 frames on 12 hits and three walks while striking out six. Poches uncertain return date, according to Cash, contributed to the clubs decision to left-hander from the Cubs earlier today in exchange for southpaw . While Poche appears to be nowhere near a return, the same isnt true of veteran right-hander , who has been on the shelf since late April due to a bout of knee tendinitis. Topkin notes that the veteran right-hander has begun a rehab a signment at Triple-A, though he notes that according to Cash the righty will need at least one more rehab appearance before the club considers bringing him back up to the big leagues. Cash also indicated that the Rays have not yet decided whether theyll have Devenski take a longer rehab a signment in order to stretch him out for multi-inning relief or simply promote him to the majors as soon as hes ready to contribute in shorter bursts. Devenski pitched to largely average results between the Angels and Rays last year, with a 4.46 ERA in 42 1/3 innings of work despite a solid 3.96 FIP. Josh Staumont Jersey